The Yellow Tail Tale

Here’s to good friends: tonight is kinda special.  Yeah. Everyone knows that commercial.  There’s always some wonder and merriment with beer-induced friendship.  But I’ve discovered that this is not my style.  I much prefer the richer, deep upscale conversation that cannot be gotten with beer…no, no!  It is a wine-state of nirvana.

I’m no wino.  I unwind on the vino.  I chill with a bottle of Cabernet.  I value it’s room temp aroma.  Whether it’s 2008 or 2006, the year doesn’t matter.  I’m just up for the mood that only wine can set.  It isn’t a sandy beach on the Riviera, people.  It’s more of a subtle venue: a Parisian street, an Italian villa.  Even the presentation is white-collar: the wine glass.  Oh so stoic and pristine.  Modeled after Maria Antoinette’s breasts?  Who knows.  I just like the tulip-like stem, the circle of trust on the rim of a glass.  Good times.

Now don’t get me wrong.  I’m not a prude, nor an elitist who isn’t wont to whet her whistle on the blue-collar side every once and a while.  I watch football.  I indulge occasionally in the ape-like habits of a pub drunkard, squeezing the nectar of the gods from a keg and shouting at his cronies everytime the ball reaches the end-zone.  Simple.  Funny.  Cool.  But there is a lush complexity to be had with a more formal drink.  The taste preferred by Romans two to one.  A Bacchus fueled beverage of bliss.  Plus, I love cheese and it just doesn’t go as well with beer.  It really doesn’t.

So on a ride home on a particularly stressful evening where my sister and I were sharing “My job is getting on my nerves” stories, my sister decided that we needed to elongate our time.  These days, it is happening more frequently since she’s moved nearby.  Sometimes we’ll get on such a good roll of conversation, that it is necessary that she kidnap me a little longer and she had suggested we grab some Yellow Tail wine (which by no means is an expensive wine).  It’s a low-grade selection of flavors to choose from for a Saturday night (or, any day of the week as far as I’m concerned).  Wine should always be paired with some kind of cheese.  In this case, we went with pizza.  And then we topped the meal off with Oreo cookies.  Who can deny the the power of the Oreo?

I told you we weren’t prudes! 

Just to prove that wine is an essential to go hand-in-hand with good conversation, here’s a brief synopsis of what was discussed:

• Meaningful Quotations from Famous People
• Poetry 
• The Tarot
• Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
• Racial Tension and Entitlement
• Secrets
• Do UFO’s Really Exist?
• American Idol and the mystery that is Ryan Seacrest

In short, spread the word of wine.  Jest and cajole and analyze and review in rosy-cheeked content.  Consider this discourse a good trade: great insight for a great price…Not bad for $10, eh kids?

O Ye of Little Faith

While walking the dogs this evening with my companion, he found a dollar bill in the street.  Seeing it as a sign of good luck, I cheerfully replied: “Oh,  Good! A bit of luck!”, adding (in my typical superstitious way), “Now place it in your left pocket and don’t spend it.”  My companion was not amused and responded with his characteristic negativity. Getting on his anti-soap-box, he cursed under his breath something about no one having ever helped him in his life and no one ever would. 

Cut and print.

Instances like these ignite a riot in my soul.  It is not only torturous for me to hear, but it is also a Debbie-Downer moment that has no equivalent as I set off on my eternal mission to convince the naysayers–like Carl–about smiling fortune and kindness.  Both are scarce these days, but I remain steadfast in my beliefs that one good turn of shining, happy kindness often lead to other shining, happy moments.  Its hard to find, but sometimes it just takes practice from both you and the people you’re trying to convince.  Most people respond like Carl: dismally.  They huff and they puff and they blow houses down.  I say that the beginning should stem first from the inside and work its way out.  Kinda like a virus…but a good one.

No one’s saying that life doesn’t offer its share of challenges.  What I am saying is that challenges, however frequent, must have their end as all things do. 

“This too shall pass”–is not just a bumper-sticker motto.  It’s a credo that I live by.  I’ve had my share of bad luck, bad humor, bad experiences.  I realize that realistically, life gives lemons…and lemons…and lemons…Ugh! Sour!  But I think not of Murphy’s Law, but Newton’s Law of Physics: “What goes up, must come down.”  The Enlightened, Metaphysical World of Opposites that guides our world proves that ups and downs are the norm.  The good thing is that new ideologies involving balance and karma and Transcendentalism have been introduced as well.  It speaks of a constant yin-yang equation which adds a clause to Newton’s Law:  ”What goes up must come down (but will eventually come back up again and vice versa–forever)”.  For eva, eva?  Yes.  Forever, ever. In other words, your house may burn down, but like magic a phoenix will arise out of its ashes. <=Was that a bit overstated?  Sorry. But you get the point, right? 

I stormed off out of frustration because speaking to Carl at times like these is almost like hitting your head against a brick wall: all it will do is end up giving you a headache.  So I knitted my eyebrows together and took a walk, all the while rolling this  argument over and over in my mind.  What could make someone so stubborn about something so logical?  I think a lot has to do with resiliency and spirit.  Unlike Carl, I am remarkably resilient to problems.  Despite my whining, complaining and overall worrywartness (Is this even a word?), I can handle whatever life throws pretty well.  Going with the flow wasn’t always easy…and still isn’t.  Its in the doing that one starts to see the benefits firsthand.  All it takes is time and patience.  As for the spirit, I’ve got bunches.  It’s in my nature to be optimistic–a true characteristic trait inherent in those born under the astrological sign, Sagittarius.

Let’s say for the sake of argument that you have both of these important features: resiliency and spirit.  Is that the only ingredients in your Soup Du Jour?  Nope.  The final piece is a trick that involves the deepest recesses of your personality.  It doesn’t have to be a spiritual thing, but it definitely is a necessary thing if you want to be a well-rounded person.  Ready?  Well, it’s…

F-A-I-T-H

…And I’m not talking about the George Michael album of the 80’s.  A dash of dilligence, a pinch of perseverance, and you’re done.  The perfect recipe to make you a great person.  Will it always work?  Well, it has to.  Like gravitates to like.  Love heals all wounds.  And so on and so forth. 

Go on.  Be kind.  No faith?  Then, I’m just gonna have to add you onto my conversion list…